Clara Parkes, the Yarn Whisperer October 17, 2013

Last year about this time, stakes were pulled up in my life with a velocity and purpose like no other in my memory.

There was sorting, packing, distributing, searching, flying and a million other “ings” that happened in such quick succession, it was the most head spinning of blurs.

Lock stock and barrel, myself, my stuff and the studio fell head first into an adventure.

“We” moved 2,119.3 miles cross-country from the Midwest to Portland.

Ah.

Land of Jusrassic-sized trees, hilly misty morning neighborhoods, real pine scented air – something so different than the concrete metropolis I’d been traveling it was like I fell through the Stargate into a distant planet.

The last few months have been such a path of discovery, it’s still blurring my vision at times – kind of a boomerang resettling into the routines of life and studio (all while driving a Maserati at 1000 miles an hour).

But even though I still can’t find a lot of stuff I thought I packed, other lovely lovely things are becoming part of the new establishment – think about all the things you do (and take for granted) and you’ll know what I mean – like where does one now shop? Eat? Play?

Ah. For someone whose mind wanders the printed page for life and pleasure, this just might be a mecca.

I found Powell’s Books early on, right after I found myself with a bumper crop of spinach growing in the backyard raised beds and needed a fine recipe for some yummy Saag Paneer – discovering in the mystical stacks a wonderful 20 year old tiny Indian cook book written by husband and wife chefs.

But this week some other kind of magic came to Powell’s – way up in the Pearl section on the 3rd floor – where they have a section for Authors…

Here, gracing us with a reading from her new volume – The Yarn Whisperer – was none other than Clara Parkes!

Reading from a new chapter, Clara shared with us a more personal view of how her passion and love of fiber has imbued her life – and its common thread with all of us who’ve been touched by the same kind of love for making.

It’s hard for me to imagine a life without knitting. For most of us, it reaches back into spaces before we ever picked up the needles – our grandma’s and great grandma’s and great-great-great-great grandma’s voices are in us and singing every time we touch the yarn.

Now, we are the choir and love to sing together, all the more fun with such a lovely maestro!

It wasn’t until later, when I stretched out with a nice cup of tea and some fresh-baked bread, that I found my song in the Yarn Whisperer: Chapter 3 – A Good Steek.

Here is a story of life change – how she and her family moved from the East Coast to Texas then San Francisco – then how she moved back again to the beginning.

It’s about how the fabric of our life can change so dramatically, by choice instead, if only we can master the tools and embrace the possible detours, the work and the evolution of one’s world.